Song of the Day: Gauntlet Hair – I Was Thinking…

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Each and every Friday we offer songs by local artists. Today’s selection, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “I Was Thinking…” by Gauntlet Hair from the 2010 self-released single.

Good morning my children and welcome to the wonderful, spinning swirling world of Gauntlet Hair. Recently signed to Forest Family Records, this small-town Colorado duo ( Andy R. & Craig Nice, originally from Chicago but still ) have garnered a great deal of attention for their lush, hypnotic dreamscapes. Springing up as part of the Denver-based club/gallery Rhinoceropolis, Gauntlet Hair really hit their stride after wowing crowds last spring at the the post-SXSW MtyMx festival in Monterrey, Mexico. The band breaks down their history and current status in endearingly simple terms:

WE HAVE BEEN MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER SINCE WE WERE FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. WE ARE IN LOVE…IN A PLATONIC BFF SORT OF MANNER. THE WRITING OF OUR FULL ALBUM IS UNDERWAY. WE WILL HAVE IT FOR YOU SHORTLY.

So there it is. The debut Gauntlet Hair record is officially in the hopper. For now, I would like for you to bask in the glory of today’s Song of the Day, “I Was Thinking….” Taken from their recently released (and long sold out) “I Was Thinking” 7-inch on Forest Family Records, this song is ridiculously addictive, especially given the fact that I have no frickin’ clue what Andy is singing or thinking about here, and at this point, I really don’t care. Indiscernible vocals glimmer brightly amongst reverberating guitars and pulsing drum tracks like an enormous school of tropical fish trapped in the smallest of aquariums. I can’t exactly tell what I’m looking at, but I know it’s beautiful, bright and alive.

If you happen to live in Gauntlet Hair’s home state of Colorado, you can catch them at a few upcoming shows in the Boulder/Denver area along with some other good bands like Sunset and Ty Segall. Check their MySpace page for dates and to hear a couple other tunes. For now, here’s the official video for “I Was Thinking…”: